The present invention relates in general to semiconductor devices, and more particularly, to fabrication methods and resulting semiconductor devices that include integrated replication security measures.
Integrated circuit (IC) security is becoming increasingly important as more and more counterfeit ICs enter the market. The ability to inhibit unauthorized reproduction of a semiconductor device such as an IC formed on a semiconductor chip, for example, has been achieved in the past by employing a security circuit for authenticating the IC. The security circuit stores a key code that is unique to that IC, and is used to authenticate the IC during use. An IC without a valid key code is typically disabled or restricted from use, thereby preventing unauthorized replication.